Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
A surgical instrument for applying one or more surgical fasteners to tissue, comprising: a fastener applying assembly including fastener holding means for holding one or more surgical fasteners, means for driving said surgical fasteners into the tissue, means for forming said surgical fasteners about the tissue, means for capturing and clamping said tissue prior to forming said fasteners and for releasing said tissue after forming said fasteners; a shaft assembly for articulatably mounting to the distal end thereof said fastener applying assembly; an actuator handle assembly mounted to the proximal end of said shaft assembly and including means for actuating said means for driving said surgical fasteners; and means for remotely articulating said fastener applying assembly from the proximal end of said shaft assembly.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
28 words
The surgical instrument of claim 1 further including means for rotating said fastener holding means about an axis generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said shaft assembly.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The surgical instrument of claim 2 wherein said means for rotating said fastener holding means is remote from said fastener holding means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said means for forming said surgical fasteners includes an anvil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The surgical instrument of claim 4 wherein said means for capturing, clamping, and releasing said tissue comprises means for reciprocating said anvil and/or said fastener holding means relative to each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The surgical instrument of claim 5 wherein said anvil is fixed relative to said fastener holding means and said fastener holding means reciprocates relative to said fixed anvil.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said fastener holding means is moveable relative to said shaft assembly, and said means for forming said surgical fasteners is located a substantially fixed distance from said actuator handle assembly.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said fastener holding means includes a reloadable fastener cartridge.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said means for remotely articulating said fastener applying assembly includes joy stick means rotatably mounted proximate said handle assembly, and means for translating rotational motion of said joy stick means into articulational motion of said fastener applying assembly.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
124 words
The surgical instrument of claim 9 wherein said means for translating rotational motion of said joy stick means into articulational motion of said fastener applying assembly comprises a spindle mounted to said joy stick means generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said shaft assembly, said spindle including first pulley means for engaging a belt, said fastener applying assembly including a knuckle pin for pivotally connecting said fastener applying assembly to said distal end of said shaft assembly, said knuckle pin including second pulley means for engaging said belt, said belt translating rotational motion of said first pulley means to longitudinal motion of said belt through said shaft assembly to rotational motion of said second pulley means and articulation of said fastener applying assembly.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
200 words
A surgical instrument for applying one or more surgical fasteners to tissue, comprising: a fastener applying assembly including fastener holding means for holding one or more surgical fasteners, means for driving said surgical fasteners into the tissue, means for capturing and clamping said tissue prior to forming said fasteners and for releasing said tissue after forming said fasteners; a shaft assembly for mounting to the distal end thereof said fastener applying assembly; an actuator handle assembly mounted to the proximal end of said shaft assembly and including first actuator means for actuating said means for capturing, clamping, and releasing said tissue, and further including second actuator means in cooperation with said first actuator means, said second actuator means operable to drive said surgical fasteners, wherein said first and second actuator means are pivotally mounted to said actuator handle assembly, said second actuator means being pivotally mounted to said first actuator means, wherein said first actuator means includes clamp locking means for locking said first actuator means after said tissue is clamped, said first actuator means further including emergency clamp release means for releasing said means for capturing and clamping said tissue from a jammed clamped position to an open position.